The university and college soccer or football system in the USA is one of the most exciting and most competitive football environments in the world. Whether you are a young female player looking to transition into the professional game or someone looking to balance your education with a great sporting experience, the US holds the keys to some of the most enticing football and life experiences available. Having a great experience as a footballer heading out to America is all about finding the right team and school for you. Attending the correct college or university on a soccer scholarship can be a great way of advancing both your sporting and academic ambitions and we are here to help you find not only the best, but the right college or university and team for you.&nbsp;

There are over 2,600 men's or women's soccer programs within the US university and college system across the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA. NCAA Division I (DI) men's soccer teams are allowed to have up to 29 players on their roster, while DI women's soccer teams are allowed to have up to 32 players. DII and DIII soccer teams typically have smaller rosters depending on the size of their athletic departments. There are also limits on the number of scholarships that can be offered by a college soccer team. In DI, men's soccer teams are allowed to offer up to 10 scholarships, while women's soccer teams are allowed to offer up to 14 scholarships. This varies slightly in DII and there are no sporting scholarships available in DIII, only academic aid. Overall, the size of a college soccer team in the USA can range from around 20 to 30 players, depending on the level of competition and the resources of the school. College soccer is played in the fall (or autumn), with the regular season starting in August and ending in November. The NCAA tournament begins in November, with the top teams from each division competing for the National Championship.

As you start to explore soccer scholarships in the USA there are a number of things that you can do to get yourself off to a flying start. To start the recruitment process pull together a record of your successes on the pitch and in the classroom over the last 4 or so years. You can do this by updating your <a href="https://summuscollege.com/profile" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.summuscollege.com/profile">Summus College&nbsp;profile</a> or in the form of a sporting resume, an example of which can be found in our <a href="https://summuscollege.com/profile/639f7e569a3deac9d4e78c5d" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Summus College Example Profile</a>. You should then take some time to research the type of university or college that you want to attend and the style of team and personality of coach that you want to play for, you can find information on different universities and colleges on our <a href="https://summuscollege.com/directory" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University Search Tool</a>. Finally we’d recommend that you start filming some of your training sessions and matches so you have plenty of footage when it comes to pulling together that all important highlights reel. Just save these for now and then head over to our <a href="https://summuscollege.com/profile/athlete-guide" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Student Athlete Guide</a> for tips on how best to present your highlights.

Between them our team has an abundance of experience when it comes to finding that perfect fit for your US college or university soccer experience. Greg Kirkpartick, is a co-founder of Summus Sports Group, was an apprentice at West Ham United FC, a recipient of the EIS award for outstanding academic achievement within sport research and is now one of the UK’s leading commercial sports agents. Alongside Greg our lead soccer consultant, Anna Miller, attended both NCAA DI and DII universities in the USA on soccer scholarships and ultimately graduated from the University of Washington. She now plays semi-professional soccer as a goalkeeper for West Brom in the UK. She's from the US, knows the US sports system inside-out and is perfectly placed to help you carve your own US path. Create a free profile today and unlock a free call with our team today to discuss your soccer and academic dreams and ambitions.&nbsp;